Great use of shoring beams. I don't know why I never thought of using these for other purposes. Working around a warehouse we almost have to throw these things away because they get left behind so much. I will look at them differently from now on. Thanks for the video ... Cheers
I like it, it’s simple and effective. It also looks like if you had to park with the trailer on a slope that it would be easy to tilt the bed to take account of the lean.
I'm going to need an update video on your trailer boss. I converted a 16 foot trailer but I only have 6 foot ceilings. You've convinced me to upload a video of my current setup. All I get is compliments on it but it doesn't look as good as yours because I haven't burned the walls like you have.
Coming soon! I have been busy with many other projects, but I will be doing a walkthrough of my setup so far. I still have several more things I want to add though. They are never finished.
Great video. And even better idea. I would be curious to see how the winching mechanism actually accomplishes this task. For some reason I am not able to discern how the winch is connected and accomplishes the platform’s lift, and, descent. The adjustability of the E track is brilliant. This is a really cool idea, I’m just a little bit confused as to how the winch is actually accomplishing the work. Thank you for posting this and sharing this notion. I enjoyed it immensely. It’s not possible to give three thumbs up but I’m giving them.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
The winching mechanism is a simple worm gear drive that rotates the shaft that the cables are attached to. As you rotate it via the included handle or a drill as I do, it rolls the cable on the shaft lifting the bed.
Great work and great video. I just thought of using garage door springs last weekend. Never thought about mounting the spring under the bed. I was thinking of getting a 16' and mounting one on each side of the bed. Nice to know it works.
Pretty nice. I would add a piece of channel material to the wall for the top rung of the ladder so it won't slip down. Also, would you be able to wind the cables the other way so the short end feeds off the outer side of the garage lift?
I may do something on the wall to help hold the ladder, but I haven't figured out what I want yet. There isn't much chance of it slipping down though, I have a rough texture bedliner material on the floor and the ladder has a pretty good rubber grip on the bottom of it.
Cool bed rig. I did something similar using e-tracks.. but I just used 2x4s and brackets. I’m curious why u put the bed up front where it interferes with the entry door.. as opposed to putting it at the rear of the trailer?
I put mine at the front because my powered parachute is too tall for it at the rear. It also allows me to use it while my PPC or my side by side is still loaded in the trailer. I don't normally use it that way, but I can in a pinch.
I believe I had a little over $350 in it. The lift portion was the most expensive at around $200 then the shoring beams were $100 for the pair, e-track, a little lumber and a few hardware components. It's a little more expensive than just a wood foundation mostly because of the cost of the Racor lift system itself, but for getting the bed completely up out of the way, it has worked very well.
Thank you! The ladder is just called a collapsible ladder. You fill find them anywhere from $100-$400, but the one I purchased was this one which was much cheaper, but still works great: www.walmart.com/ip/Kadell-16-5Ft-12-5Ft-10-5ft-Aluminum-Telescoping-Ladder-Non-Slip-Ladder-Lightweight-Multi-Use-Retractable-Foldable-Extension-Step-Loft-Attic-330lbs-L/529700123
I am not in any way criticizing this mans choices. But I often look at the sheer amount of available space that he and others are afforded, and think to myself; "My gosh, what I could do with that space ..."
When things are configured right, it is amazing what all you can fit in. I now have some front cabinets and a few other things in there, but still plan for more. I have to leave enough room for the side by side and powered parachute though. ;-)
Thank you! The walls are pretty simple. Took the factory plywood down, used a weed torch and burned the grain, the polyurethane clear over the top. The trim is the same only with some walnut stain before the clear. Simple and cheap.
I put the bed up front because I also haul a powered parachute that is a little over 7' tall at the very rear. This allows me to drop the bed and sleep in it even with the powered parachute inside. I can also drop the bed with the rzr inside, but I have to climb on the rzr to get into bed, so normally we unload that first, but in a pinch it's possible. If the bed was in the back, we would have to unload to use it.
This is really cool! Love the simplicity. No wires..just cables, a drill, and a track system. I've been searching for a good solution to the elevator bed without overcomplicating things. This one seems the most secure as well. Having to do the manual step of adjusting the beams is worth it in my opinion. It looks like this garage lift has been discontinued. The only other one I see that is similar is sold by Thule, is there anything about this system specifically that allowed you to do this or will I be fine with an alternative? Thanks in advance.
Thank you! I have not looked at the Thule system, but there really isn't much that makes this specific. You need the gearbox so that it rotates the shaft, and then some sort of mechanism to hold the pulleys at the ends. The garage lift came with these and I just modified them slightly to work for this setup. If the Thule kit doesn't have that, the could be fabricated pretty easily.
@@KennethLeake Thanks for the reply, I think I'll go ahead and try that model considering my options. Did you test how far off to the side you could put the mechanism before having it end up in the spot that it's in now? I appreciate the insight.
@@nickohdub you can pretty much mount the tube and gear case anywhere left to right that you want, but the gear case has to be on the end of the tube. That location worked perfectly for me, but if you preferred then you could put it next to the wall.
@@KennethLeake Very cool! I think I will do that. I wanted to make sure it didn't cause any uneven spooling. Thanks for your responses and generosity 👍
Kenneth, are there any markings on the gearbox telling what the reduction ratio is? I'm looking to fabricate my own rig but have no idea what kind of reduction ratio I should get. Also, does the gearbox have the manufacturers name on it. I'm sure Racor doesn't make their own. Thank you.
I couldn't find any kinds of markings or other brand on it anywhere. The gear ratio is pretty slow, i'm going to guess about 8:1 or more. It's a worm drive setup inside the gearbox.
My trailer is a 7x14 with an 8ft ceiling to fit my powered parachute in. The extra height is nice for sure but most aren't that tall. If yours is shorter, adjust the hook width and the bed could go completely against the ceiling. Mine leaves a gap of about 1ft to allow my A/C air to flow.
Great ideas! I'm interested in more info on the Racor lift system. A quick search for Racor showes several pully systems. Which one are you using? Also, I'd like to see how that system is connected. Thanks
This is the one I am using, just installed in an upside down manner so the crank is on the bed and cables run to the ceiling. www.amazon.com/Racor-PHL-1R-HeavyLift-4-Foot-Cable-Lifted/dp/B0009I8AO6/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAjeSABhAPEiwAqfxURSLjZbKLciTflod_detdVfewlhlQ8q05-YM2-9COol8w4AbHJVhtzBoCW1QQAvD_BwE&hvadid=177790804536&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026528&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2223109698366574157&hvtargid=kwd-6728867507&hydadcr=1173_9915870&keywords=racor+garage+lift&qid=1612316328&sr=8-2&tag=googhydr-20
@@KennethLeake great thanks. So it looks like the bar that the cable winds on is mounted to the bottom of the bed. And the two arms on the ends are mounted to the trailer ceiling. Is that right?
If my hooks on the walls were moved more inline with the rollers, then yes, I could take it completely to the ceiling. Two reasons I don't on my build. 1. I wanted my hooks bolted to the steel wall studs and not just the plywood, so the spacing had to be a little wider. 2. I wanted a gap so that my A/C would blow the air out either side without obstruction. In my trailer it is perfect. With a standard height trailer I would have likely put the A/C in the rear and then adjusted the hooks and went all the way to the ceiling.
Kenneth did you do any follow ups on the cargo trailer progress ? Ive looked thru your videos posted and didnt see any listed but I may not be seeing all your video listing ?
Unfortunately I have not. I did start a video a couple of times and got pulled into another project. i'll try to move it back up on the priority list. Overall though, the build has worked well for what I have it for, and I have made no major updates.
Nevermind, with a little research I found some. But you are right, I haven't been able to find anything smaller than 84" for my 7ft wide trailer. I'm thinking the same way you are, buying the 84" ones and shortening them. I'm guessing those gold in color E track fittings in the end of the beams don't go the whole length of the beam? So that you can take it out, cut off a few inches of the aluminum beam, re drill a hole and put the E track back in?
Those fittings come in the shoring beams and are only a foot or two on each side. I took one out, cut the beam, and then re-drilled for the bolt to go through. Pretty easy overall. You could cut them down to about 4ft if you wanted to.
Hi I am looking to do something like this but am wondering if a cargo trailer roof would hold the weight? I've looked at your setup because I cannot get information as to the max weight that the cargo trailer roof can hold.
This is actually attached and hanging from the wall studs right up close to the ceiling. The roof itself can hold a fair amount of weight, but it's not super strong. I would not attach something heavy in the middle, but may if it's close to the wall. However, the wall can support quite a lot of weight if attached at the steel stud.
It takes about 5 minutes to lower it down or raise it up, but it is a few more steps than just jumping in bed. For me it was either this, or a larger trailer. This keeps the bed completely out of my way for hauling anything in the trailer. You can lower the bed as low as you want on the E-track. I have them coming down and meeting up with my other e-track that is on the walls for tie downs, so I can get the bed to about 3' off the floor. I just usually use it higher so I can still get under it and go outside if the wife is still sleeping. Customizing these things is all about compromise and making it work best for your situation. You could easily put this in the back of the trailer and just lower it down to 2' off the floor and leave it for your entire camping trip. My powered parachute is too tall to use it back there, and I can still use it in the front with toys inside. Best tradeoff for my needs.
Great use of shoring beams. I don't know why I never thought of using these for other purposes. Working around a warehouse we almost have to throw these things away because they get left behind so much. I will look at them differently from now on. Thanks for the video ... Cheers
They are definitely handy for the right purposes, and work great for this.
i really like the bungie cord idea in the cargo bars
Such a great idea! One of the best I've seen!
Very cool set up. Thanks for sharing.
That's a nice setup
Thank you!
I really liked this simple and effective bed nice job .
Glad you like it!
I like it, it’s simple and effective. It also looks like if you had to park with the trailer on a slope that it would be easy to tilt the bed to take account of the lean.
Great design mate, thanks from London England 👍😎🏴
You are very welcome!
I'm going to need an update video on your trailer boss. I converted a 16 foot trailer but I only have 6 foot ceilings. You've convinced me to upload a video of my current setup. All I get is compliments on it but it doesn't look as good as yours because I haven't burned the walls like you have.
Coming soon! I have been busy with many other projects, but I will be doing a walkthrough of my setup so far. I still have several more things I want to add though. They are never finished.
Appreciate you time, a great idea!
Great video! Thanks for posting!
Nice rig. Well thought out. Good job.
Thank you!
I like your ingenuity 👍
Genius!
great video, very detailed. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Clever build.
Great video. And even better idea. I would be curious to see how the winching mechanism actually accomplishes this task. For some reason I am not able to discern how the winch is connected and accomplishes the platform’s lift, and, descent. The adjustability of the E track is brilliant. This is a really cool idea, I’m just a little bit confused as to how the winch is actually accomplishing the work. Thank you for posting this and sharing this notion. I enjoyed it immensely. It’s not possible to give three thumbs up but I’m giving them.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
The winching mechanism is a simple worm gear drive that rotates the shaft that the cables are attached to. As you rotate it via the included handle or a drill as I do, it rolls the cable on the shaft lifting the bed.
Genius
nice and simple.
Great work and great video. I just thought of using garage door springs last weekend.
Never thought about mounting the spring under the bed. I was thinking of getting a 16' and mounting one on each side of the bed.
Nice to know it works.
Thank you, and yes, that would also be an interesting way of doing it.
Awesome!
Thank you for the very detailed video showing your bed.
That’s Fly Guy !
I like this
Love the lift set-up. I'm looking to do something similar. Is this basically the PHL-1R in a "reverse" set up as they design it to be used?
Yes exactly. I could have mounted the gearbox at the ceiling, but then it's up there with the bed while you are sleeping and it's harder to reach.
Pretty nice. I would add a piece of channel material to the wall for the top rung of the ladder so it won't slip down. Also, would you be able to wind the cables the other way so the short end feeds off the outer side of the garage lift?
I may do something on the wall to help hold the ladder, but I haven't figured out what I want yet. There isn't much chance of it slipping down though, I have a rough texture bedliner material on the floor and the ladder has a pretty good rubber grip on the bottom of it.
would've been awesome to have a picture of your powered parachute in there with the bed down. but still nice video :)
I still plan to do a full walkaround as I get more components in the trailer. Maybe I'll include the PPC in one. ;-)
Cool bed rig. I did something similar using e-tracks.. but I just used 2x4s and brackets. I’m curious why u put the bed up front where it interferes with the entry door.. as opposed to putting it at the rear of the trailer?
I put mine at the front because my powered parachute is too tall for it at the rear. It also allows me to use it while my PPC or my side by side is still loaded in the trailer. I don't normally use it that way, but I can in a pinch.
Thank you! This is the best option I’ve found. What did this set up cost you all together, please? Thanks!
I believe I had a little over $350 in it. The lift portion was the most expensive at around $200 then the shoring beams were $100 for the pair, e-track, a little lumber and a few hardware components. It's a little more expensive than just a wood foundation mostly because of the cost of the Racor lift system itself, but for getting the bed completely up out of the way, it has worked very well.
@@KennethLeake Thank you!
Where did you find the beams and etrack clips? Works awesome
I found mine on eBay, but you can search around for the best price. I gave around $120 for a pair. Search for "Aluminum Shoring Beam"
This is awesome! Thank you for sharing. What kind of ladder is that? What is it called?
Thank you! The ladder is just called a collapsible ladder. You fill find them anywhere from $100-$400, but the one I purchased was this one which was much cheaper, but still works great: www.walmart.com/ip/Kadell-16-5Ft-12-5Ft-10-5ft-Aluminum-Telescoping-Ladder-Non-Slip-Ladder-Lightweight-Multi-Use-Retractable-Foldable-Extension-Step-Loft-Attic-330lbs-L/529700123
Nice walls as well. Burned wood by the looks of it.
Yes, burned the factory plywood, then clear over the top of that. It has worked well.
I am not in any way criticizing this mans choices. But I often look at the sheer amount of available space that he and others are afforded, and think to myself;
"My gosh, what I could do with that space ..."
When things are configured right, it is amazing what all you can fit in. I now have some front cabinets and a few other things in there, but still plan for more. I have to leave enough room for the side by side and powered parachute though. ;-)
How did you stain the walls to look like this? Looks great!
Thank you! The walls are pretty simple. Took the factory plywood down, used a weed torch and burned the grain, the polyurethane clear over the top. The trim is the same only with some walnut stain before the clear. Simple and cheap.
Amazing job. I have one question with an 8 ft ceiling trailer how come you put the bed up front ? Does the razor not fit just curious.
I put the bed up front because I also haul a powered parachute that is a little over 7' tall at the very rear. This allows me to drop the bed and sleep in it even with the powered parachute inside. I can also drop the bed with the rzr inside, but I have to climb on the rzr to get into bed, so normally we unload that first, but in a pinch it's possible. If the bed was in the back, we would have to unload to use it.
This is really cool! Love the simplicity. No wires..just cables, a drill, and a track system. I've been searching for a good solution to the elevator bed without overcomplicating things. This one seems the most secure as well. Having to do the manual step of adjusting the beams is worth it in my opinion. It looks like this garage lift has been discontinued. The only other one I see that is similar is sold by Thule, is there anything about this system specifically that allowed you to do this or will I be fine with an alternative? Thanks in advance.
Thank you! I have not looked at the Thule system, but there really isn't much that makes this specific. You need the gearbox so that it rotates the shaft, and then some sort of mechanism to hold the pulleys at the ends. The garage lift came with these and I just modified them slightly to work for this setup. If the Thule kit doesn't have that, the could be fabricated pretty easily.
@@KennethLeake Thanks for the reply, I think I'll go ahead and try that model considering my options. Did you test how far off to the side you could put the mechanism before having it end up in the spot that it's in now? I appreciate the insight.
@@nickohdub you can pretty much mount the tube and gear case anywhere left to right that you want, but the gear case has to be on the end of the tube. That location worked perfectly for me, but if you preferred then you could put it next to the wall.
@@KennethLeake Very cool! I think I will do that. I wanted to make sure it didn't cause any uneven spooling. Thanks for your responses and generosity 👍
Kenneth, are there any markings on the gearbox telling what the reduction ratio is? I'm looking to fabricate my own rig but have no idea what kind of reduction ratio I should get. Also, does the gearbox have the manufacturers name on it. I'm sure Racor doesn't make their own. Thank you.
I couldn't find any kinds of markings or other brand on it anywhere. The gear ratio is pretty slow, i'm going to guess about 8:1 or more. It's a worm drive setup inside the gearbox.
How big is your trailer?
I never considered mounting it over the door
That gives me more ideas for layouts now
Thanks
My trailer is a 7x14 with an 8ft ceiling to fit my powered parachute in. The extra height is nice for sure but most aren't that tall. If yours is shorter, adjust the hook width and the bed could go completely against the ceiling. Mine leaves a gap of about 1ft to allow my A/C air to flow.
Great ideas! I'm interested in more info on the Racor lift system. A quick search for Racor showes several pully systems. Which one are you using? Also, I'd like to see how that system is connected. Thanks
This is the one I am using, just installed in an upside down manner so the crank is on the bed and cables run to the ceiling. www.amazon.com/Racor-PHL-1R-HeavyLift-4-Foot-Cable-Lifted/dp/B0009I8AO6/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAjeSABhAPEiwAqfxURSLjZbKLciTflod_detdVfewlhlQ8q05-YM2-9COol8w4AbHJVhtzBoCW1QQAvD_BwE&hvadid=177790804536&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026528&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2223109698366574157&hvtargid=kwd-6728867507&hydadcr=1173_9915870&keywords=racor+garage+lift&qid=1612316328&sr=8-2&tag=googhydr-20
@@KennethLeake great thanks. So it looks like the bar that the cable winds on is mounted to the bottom of the bed. And the two arms on the ends are mounted to the trailer ceiling. Is that right?
@@thomasgriffith3747 Yes that is correct.
Excellent. I have been looking for a video just like this. Thank You. Could you raise it to the ceiling if you wanted? is that a queen mattress?
If my hooks on the walls were moved more inline with the rollers, then yes, I could take it completely to the ceiling. Two reasons I don't on my build. 1. I wanted my hooks bolted to the steel wall studs and not just the plywood, so the spacing had to be a little wider. 2. I wanted a gap so that my A/C would blow the air out either side without obstruction. In my trailer it is perfect. With a standard height trailer I would have likely put the A/C in the rear and then adjusted the hooks and went all the way to the ceiling.
Kenneth did you do any follow ups on the cargo trailer progress ? Ive looked thru your videos posted and didnt see any listed but I may not be seeing all your video listing ?
Unfortunately I have not. I did start a video a couple of times and got pulled into another project. i'll try to move it back up on the priority list. Overall though, the build has worked well for what I have it for, and I have made no major updates.
Did you burn the wood paneling like Japanese shou sugi ban make it look like that?
I burned the plywood with a large torch, and then brushed on clear polyurethane.
I'm looking to do a similar bed set up, where did you get those E track fittings that are inside of the shoring beams?
Nevermind, with a little research I found some. But you are right, I haven't been able to find anything smaller than 84" for my 7ft wide trailer. I'm thinking the same way you are, buying the 84" ones and shortening them. I'm guessing those gold in color E track fittings in the end of the beams don't go the whole length of the beam? So that you can take it out, cut off a few inches of the aluminum beam, re drill a hole and put the E track back in?
Those fittings come in the shoring beams and are only a foot or two on each side. I took one out, cut the beam, and then re-drilled for the bolt to go through. Pretty easy overall. You could cut them down to about 4ft if you wanted to.
Where did you find the rails at and what exactly do they call them they look like it worked great in my trailer
They are called "Shoring Beams". Google it and there are several choices to pick from.
Are you able to put the E-beam at an angle if you are parked on a unflat surface?
You definitely could get away with going one notch lower on one side than the other, but I don't think more than 1 would work.
Vasco Rossi!
do you ever wake up i n the middle of the night and forget your elevated high and almost step off before you realize you need to use the ladder?
I have not had that issue yet, but that would get exciting pretty quickly!
You still have that trailer how long u said is and do u still have it excellent shape 😊
It is a 7x14, and yes I do still have it.
Hi I am looking to do something like this but am wondering if a cargo trailer roof would hold the weight? I've looked at your setup because I cannot get information as to the max weight that the cargo trailer roof can hold.
This is actually attached and hanging from the wall studs right up close to the ceiling. The roof itself can hold a fair amount of weight, but it's not super strong. I would not attach something heavy in the middle, but may if it's close to the wall. However, the wall can support quite a lot of weight if attached at the steel stud.
That was cool 😎
What is your pully system? Where can I get one?
The pulley system is the Racor garage lift mounted upside down.
Have any links to those beams?
Unfortunately no as the seller I purchased from doesn't list them anymore. Search for "Aluminum Shoring Beam" and there are many choices to pick from.
Hm that seems like a lot of steps to go to bed, not to mention you are still up high if you need a nightly relief.
It takes about 5 minutes to lower it down or raise it up, but it is a few more steps than just jumping in bed. For me it was either this, or a larger trailer. This keeps the bed completely out of my way for hauling anything in the trailer. You can lower the bed as low as you want on the E-track. I have them coming down and meeting up with my other e-track that is on the walls for tie downs, so I can get the bed to about 3' off the floor. I just usually use it higher so I can still get under it and go outside if the wife is still sleeping. Customizing these things is all about compromise and making it work best for your situation. You could easily put this in the back of the trailer and just lower it down to 2' off the floor and leave it for your entire camping trip. My powered parachute is too tall to use it back there, and I can still use it in the front with toys inside. Best tradeoff for my needs.
Damn you short people
Haha, I am about 5'9", but my buddy that is 6'1" can walk under. With a couple of minor adjustments I could raise it about another foot.